178 stories by "Kevin Daly"
One of the joys of Netflix (and possibly its downfall as well) is finding shows streaming in their entirety. One of these shows is the British hit Keeping Up Appearances starring the one and…
While the American musical was at the peak of its popularity, the publishing industry took notice and would publish libretti, especially Random House. Released in hardcover editions, the boo…
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying originally opened in 1961 to across the board raves, a slew of Tony Awards and a rare Pulitzer win. A satire of corporate America, the show f…
My friends and regular readers are aware of the cool reception I gave Trevor Nunn’s revival of A Little Night Music that played the Walter Kerr last year. I don’t want to rehash …
I have been quite obsessed with this song since I heard Kate Baldwin sing it the other night at Feinstein’s to hilarious effect. The song was written for the fearless comedienne Charlo…
Picking a favorite Sheldon Harnick song is nearly impossible for me. If I tell you “Ice Cream” or “If I Were a Rich Man” give me a few seconds and I’ll start ra…
The biggest Broadway musical hit of the 1958-59 season was not the 8 time Tony-winning Redhead starring Gwen Verdon or Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song. It was a French revue…
Next week I’ll be making my first trip of the season to Feinstein’s at the Regency to see the delightful Kate Baldwin in a return engagement. I was there for her debut last Decem…
Just when I thought Saturday was going to be Spider-Man free, news broke from Patrick Healy in the NY Times that the most expensive musical in history is considering delaying its opening nig…
Thirty five years ago today, the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue had its world premiere performance at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. The much anticipated collaboration between musica…
I’ve long been a fan of Jerry Herman’s life-affirming, full-out Broadway style that mixes sentiment, warmth and hummable melody and incisive lyrics. When I first heard that there…
The original production of Candide is the stuff of legend: mixed reviews and a 73 performance failure. AÂ comic operetta adaptation of Voltaire’s satire, the critics praised Leonard …
As the fates would have it, New Yorkers have the opportunity of seeing rare revivals of two of Kurt Weill’s more fascinating musicals (both written with librettist/lyricist Maxwell …
There are few activities I enjoy more than catching up with my blogger friends (and meeting new bloggers) and thanks to Avenue Q we were invited for a special blogger night performance of th…
The first time I ever listened to Marc Blitzstein‘s Regina, I admit I wasn’t very impressed. As it turns out, it was because of the recording I was listening to. The 199…
The first musical I ever appeared in was my high school’s production of Funny Girl eleven years ago. (I’ll save my first audition experience for another day). The show is somethi…
When Elaine Stritch performed her landmark one-woman show At Liberty, one of the funniest anecdotes involved her failed audition for The Golden Girls. It didn’t go well for her and …
My annual list of the movies I’ve watched in their entirety. It’s just a list, no critical indictments or plaudits. I’ve kept the list more out of curiosity more than a…
1. Lend Me a Tenor. April 13, @ the Music Box Theatre. Don’t you love farce? I do. But it’s a genre that is very difficult to pull off successfully. Ken Ludwig’s 80s com…
Kate Baldwin, I Do! I Do! I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience at the esteemed Westport Country Playhouse. I had never seen the Schmidt and Jones musical of the J…
As we approach the end of 2010 as well as the first decade of the 21st century (There’s no such thing as Year 0 in our calendar), I’ve been looking back on the ten years of…
I don’t know about you, but I was rather disappointed with the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Jerry Herman that aired last evening. Herman, whose songs continue to bring great joy…
Tony-winner Victoria Clark sings “O Holy Night.” My best to you and yours. Related Posts Let’s See What Happens A Stream of Consciousness on "Inner Voices" Quote of…
This video clip crossed my desk earlier this evening and I couldn’t help but smile. Flash mobs are amusing, if becoming a trifle overdone, but this one struck me as I am a big fan of t…
Following on the heels of this past Sunday’s closing performance of The Scottsboro Boys, the show’s producers are trying something a little different in order to gauge whether or…
